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Indians agree to deal with teenage phenom Gonzalez

Indians agree to deal with teenage phenom Gonzalez

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By Jesse Sanchez
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MLB.com |

The Indians have reached a deal worth $950,000 with Cuban teenage right-hander Leandro Linares Gonzalez, according to an industry source.

Linares, 19, pitched for the Cuban National Team 16-and-under squad in competitions in Chinese Taipei in 2009 and Lagos de Moreno, Mexico, in 2010. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound pitcher made a name for himself on the island by starring for Villa Clara in the 16-and-under and 18-and-under divisions in the National Championships in Cuba from 2009-2012.

Because he is younger than 23 years old and has not played at least three seasons in a Cuban professional league, Gonzalez was subject to the new international signing guidelines established by the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

The Indians earlier agreed to terms with four players, including shortstop Willy Castro, for $850,000, for a total close to $1.4 million since the international signing period began on July 2. Cleveland entered the period with a bonus pool of $3,636,900.

Jesse Sanchez is a national reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @JesseSanchezMLB. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.